FOOD PACKAGING Food packaging comes in several different forms. Each form has its own advantages and disadvantages. Depending on which level of packaging –primary, secondary and tertiary (or transit)– we must consider which form of packaging best suits the food type when undergoing transportation, storage and preparation as to ensure that the food is safe for consumption and free from damage. Aluminium, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic and glass are three of the most commonly used in food packaging.
ALUMINIUM
Aluminium is used to package food in various ways. Its common uses are:
Canned products
Soups
Drinks
Aluminium foils & wraps
Chocolates
Biscuit & crisp packets
Fast food containers
Aluminium provides protection during and storage from gas, moisture, microorganisms, rodents and insects. Its ability to withstand heating process allows producers to sterilise aluminium cans before use. Moreover, they provide an airtight seal, are stackable, tamper-proof and inexpensive to produce.
As aluminium is generally used as primary packing –meaning it makes contact with the food itself– this contact between the food and aluminium can cause issues. With aluminium cans, contamination can occur if it becomes dented. This is due to the internal coating breaking and allowing the aluminium to leach into the product. This leach causes various health issues as aluminium, when consumed, accumulates in the body tissue. Few causes of aluminium contamination are:
Alzheimer’s disease, as neurotoxins are released in the brain.
Impaired kidney function, tissue and bone damage.
Additionally, food packaged in aluminium cans have other disadvantages such as:
Having low quality of the final product
Not microwaveable
Transportation issues due to weight
Other safety issues when opening the product
Once opened, food cannot be stored in the original packaging as it risks contamination
Contents aren't visible prior to opening
POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE (PET) PLASTIC Polyethylene Terephthalate plastics, or PET, is one of the safer forms of plastic. It is made of modified ethylene glycol andterephthalic acid, both of which are monomers. PET is commonly used for:
Water and soft drink bottles
Containers
Microwave food trays
Food packaging films
PET is recyclable, lightweight, cheap to produce, re-sealable, shatter-resistant and the product is visible through the plastic. It also serves as a barrier against oxygen, water and carbon dioxide.
Aforementioned, PET is a safe variety of plastic. Unlike plastics containing Bisphenol-A (BPA), PET causes no health risk. This is due to the fact that, although there are leakages from the PET, it is completely safe. Research has shown that even the direct ingestion of PET is:
“…biologically inert if ingested, dermally safe during handling and is not a hazard if inhaled.”
However, other research has shown the PET can be dangerous. As it contains the metal antimony, it is also possible for traces of this metal to leak into the contents of a PET product. This leakage occurs after the PET product has undergone exposure to higher temperatures, over a period of approximately a day and a half. The dangers include:
Liver problems
Possible reproductive issues
It is suggested that PET products should be recycled after its single use.
GLASS
The use of glass for food packaging has been around since the Phoenicians and Syrians who first invented glass blowing. Today, we use glass for:
Jars
Jam and other fruit preserves
Spaghetti sauce
Glass retains the quality of the original product, as it is inert and there is nothing in the glass that could possibly leach out. It also provides good protection and is recyclable. Glass is impermeable, providing protection from gas, moisture and air, thus preserving the product for a longer time. Additionally, it is suitable for use in the microwave and the contents are visible.
Furthermore, glass changes properties under different temperatures. Under high temperatures, it becomes a conductor, however, under room temperature, it tends to be an insulator. Glass is an insulator as it is thick, thus being viscous, and not allowing any electrons to flow through. Viscosity of a substance simply put, is like syrup –when heated it becomes thin and runny, and when cooled, it becomes thick. Thus, a substance’ state of viscosity depends on the temperature: the cooler the temperature, the more viscous a substance is, thus becoming an insulator. It is when the substance undergoes higher temperature that it becomes a conductor, like glass.
However, glass also has a few disadvantages:
Heavy and fragile, it can become a safety risk for younger children.
More expensive than its aluminium and plastic counterparts.
Westerhoff P., Prapaipong P., Shock E., Hillaireau A., 6 August 2007, Antimony Leaching From Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Plastic Used For Bottled Drinking Water, PubMed.gov, viewed 18 February 2012
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17707454>
Food packaging comes in several different forms. Each form has its own advantages and disadvantages. Depending on which level of packaging –primary, secondary and tertiary (or transit)– we must consider which form of packaging best suits the food type when undergoing transportation, storage and preparation as to ensure that the food is safe for consumption and free from damage. Aluminium, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic and glass are three of the most commonly used in food packaging.
ALUMINIUM
Aluminium is used to package food in various ways. Its common uses are:
Aluminium provides protection during and storage from gas, moisture, microorganisms, rodents and insects. Its ability to withstand heating process allows producers to sterilise aluminium cans before use. Moreover, they provide an airtight seal, are stackable, tamper-proof and inexpensive to produce.
As aluminium is generally used as primary packing –meaning it makes contact with the food itself– this contact between the food and aluminium can cause issues. With aluminium cans, contamination can occur if it becomes dented. This is due to the internal coating breaking and allowing the aluminium to leach into the product. This leach causes various health issues as aluminium, when consumed, accumulates in the body tissue. Few causes of aluminium contamination are:
Additionally, food packaged in aluminium cans have other disadvantages such as:
POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE (PET) PLASTIC
Polyethylene Terephthalate plastics, or PET, is one of the safer forms of plastic. It is made of modified ethylene glycol andterephthalic acid, both of which are monomers. PET is commonly used for:
PET is recyclable, lightweight, cheap to produce, re-sealable, shatter-resistant and the product is visible through the plastic. It also serves as a barrier against oxygen, water and carbon dioxide.
Aforementioned, PET is a safe variety of plastic. Unlike plastics containing Bisphenol-A (BPA), PET causes no health risk. This is due to the fact that, although there are leakages from the PET, it is completely safe. Research has shown that even the direct ingestion of PET is:
“…biologically inert if ingested, dermally safe during handling and is not a hazard if inhaled.”
However, other research has shown the PET can be dangerous. As it contains the metal antimony, it is also possible for traces of this metal to leak into the contents of a PET product. This leakage occurs after the PET product has undergone exposure to higher temperatures, over a period of approximately a day and a half. The dangers include:
It is suggested that PET products should be recycled after its single use.
GLASS
The use of glass for food packaging has been around since the Phoenicians and Syrians who first invented glass blowing. Today, we use glass for:
Glass retains the quality of the original product, as it is inert and there is nothing in the glass that could possibly leach out. It also provides good protection and is recyclable. Glass is impermeable, providing protection from gas, moisture and air, thus preserving the product for a longer time. Additionally, it is suitable for use in the microwave and the contents are visible.
Furthermore, glass changes properties under different temperatures. Under high temperatures, it becomes a conductor, however, under room temperature, it tends to be an insulator. Glass is an insulator as it is thick, thus being viscous, and not allowing any electrons to flow through. Viscosity of a substance simply put, is like syrup –when heated it becomes thin and runny, and when cooled, it becomes thick. Thus, a substance’ state of viscosity depends on the temperature: the cooler the temperature, the more viscous a substance is, thus becoming an insulator. It is when the substance undergoes higher temperature that it becomes a conductor, like glass.
However, glass also has a few disadvantages:
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